A weighing scale commonly includes a base upon which a load cell is mounted. A platform for receiving a load is in turn mounted on the load cell. When a load is placed on the platform, the weight of the load causes deflection of one or more portions of the load cell. One or more strain gages produce electrical signals representative of the deflection. The signals are processed to generate data representing the weight of the load. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,727 discloses a scale of this type
The platform, base, and other structural elements of the scale must be sufficiently strong and rigid to support loads placed on the scale without failing or greatly deforming.
Further, as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,561 (assigned to the assignee of this application, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), it is desirable that the scale structure provide protection against the load cell being overloaded. It is further desirable that oscillation of the scale's structure be rapidly damped, so that an accurate reading may be quickly obtained.
It is accordingly desirable that the structural elements of a scale be designed to meet these requirements at low cost, with ease of manufacture and in a manner that allows flexibility in the overall design of a scale.